Tennessee basketball makes top-three for sharpshooting transfer forward

Tennessee basketball has been working the transfer portal after four Vols entered the portal and four more are graduating.

Jan 6, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte 49ers forward Igor Milicic Jr. (24) looks to
Jan 6, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte 49ers forward Igor Milicic Jr. (24) looks to | Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee basketball and Rick Barnes have been working the transfer recruiting trail after four Vols entered the portal, and four more are off to graduation. That leaves only one starter still on the roster if all transfers follow through and leave Rocky Top.

Hofstra transfer Darlinstone Dubar committed to Tennessee on Monday after visiting campus on Saturday and taking in the festivities with football's Orange & White Game. Barnes and company are not done in the portal as they continue to target other players to fill out their roster.

The next player Barnes is looking to bring to Rocky Top is Igor Milicic Jr. out of Charlotte. The 49ers' transfer forward is looking to move to his third school in four years after starting his career at the University of Virginia and spending two years at Charlotte.

CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein has reported that Milicic is down to three teams as he narrows down his transfer decision. The Vols, along with Nebraska and Baylor, make the top-three for the transfer forward.

The 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward from Croatia still has two years of eligibility remaining. He averaged 12.8 points per game and 8.5 rebounds while also leading the team in made threes with 56 made three-pointers last season.

He's not going to bring an elite defensive presence to Knoxville out of the gate, but he matches the same type of player Barnes has been recruiting through the portal. He's a career 47.6% shooter from the field and 35.8% from three, which is pretty impressive for a man nearly seven feet tall.

Milicic can score all over the court. He's versatile and can play as a five, stretch four, or play around the three-point line. Wherever Barnes and the Vols need him, he can play virtually any role on the court. The versatility combined with Dubar's ability to play all over the court could be a game-changer for the Vols next season.

The college basketball transfer portal will remain open through the end of April. Undergraduate transfers have until April 30 to declare their intentions to transfer, while graduate transfers have until May 1 to declare their intentions. Keep up with everything Tennessee basketball with the transfer portal tracker.

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